Its official.Ireland becomes 2nd country in the world to declare a #ClimateEmergency & Dáil also agreed to endorse all the recommendations of the Oireachtas Climate Action Report .Definitely one of the highlights for me as a @greenparty_ie TD .My children are thrilled. pic.twitter.com/bcQhvYxvqx
— Catherine Martin TD (@cathmartingreen) May 9, 2019
By making an amendment to a government report on climate action, ‘Climate Change: A Cross-Party Consensus for Action’, Ireland has officially declared a climate emergency. The amendment was accepted without a vote.
It was moved by the Green Party’s climate action spokesman Timmy Dooley. However, when the vote came before the House, it was put forward by Deputy Eamon Ryan as there were only six TDs in the chamber, and none of them were from Fianna Fáil.
“Declaring an emergency means absolutely nothing unless there is action to back it up. That means the government having to do things they don’t want to do.”
~ Eamon Ryan, Green Party leader
Glad Dail Eireann (in unusual circumstances) has just declared a climate & biodiversity emergency & has endorsed the report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action https://t.co/M6d66BfNrq We now must act on the report, with a #GreenNewDeal delivering a #JustTransition pic.twitter.com/z31N5R9D1d
— Eamon Ryan (@EamonRyan) May 9, 2019
Ryan called the decision “historic”. The Green Party leader said: “We have declared a climate emergency in our own Irish way.” The government climate action report is based on a report and recommendations from a Citizens’ Assembly, ‘How the State can make Ireland a Leader in tackling Climate Change’.
As CO2 levels hit 415ppm we are in the race of our lives, for our very survival. Everything depends on bending the emission curve down. Does it feel like it to you? #ClimateEmergency https://t.co/RtHgq0Wpo6
— 🌍Lorna Gold 🌏 (@gold_lgold) May 14, 2019
It’s happened. The Dáil has declared a climate emergency!! We are speechless. We are finally starting to to be listened to, every action, every protest, every word spread. This is the beginning of a climate revolution. #ClimateEmergency #Ireland #Wicklow #ClimateChange #Climate pic.twitter.com/aNu3DfX6Tt
— Shona and Molly🌎 (@globalwarning_) May 9, 2019
Media coverage
→ Irish Examiner – 9 May 2019:
Government declares climate emergency
“Ireland has become the second country in the world to declare a climate emergency.”
→ BBC News – 9 May 2019:
Climate change: Ireland declares climate emergency
“The Republic of Ireland has declared a climate and biodiversity emergency.”
→ TheJournal.ie – 9 May 2019:
What does the Dáil’s declaration of a climate emergency actually mean?
“Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said this move will put pressure on the government to be more ambitious with its policies.”
→ The Guardian – 10 May 2019:
Irish parliament declares climate emergency
“The Irish Green party leader, Eamon Ryan, who moved the amendment, called the decision “historic”.”
→ The Washington Post – 10 May 2019:
Ireland and Britain declare climate emergencies, but will it make a difference?
“Ireland became the second country on Thursday to declare a climate emergency, following Britain’s lead earlier this month. Both the Irish and British declarations are largely symbolic and do not force governments to take specific actions to increase biodiversity or pursue more emissions cuts than previously planned.”
Ireland becomes the 2nd country to declare #climateemergency This is a significant statement and underlines the importance of the work already underway on the All of Government Climate Plan pic.twitter.com/AhHXckQMrn
— Dept. Environment, Climate and Communications (@Dept_ECC) May 10, 2019
Great news from Ireland!! Who is next?
And remember: #ClimateEmergency means leaving fossil fuels in the ground. #ClimateBreakdown #EcologicalBreakdown https://t.co/GTkyhg7Sam— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) May 9, 2019
List of Irish councils and regions
→ Cedamia: CED regions in Ireland
List of local council and regions in the Republic of Ireland that have declared a climate emergency, in chronological order.